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"Knocked Out"
U.S. promotional cover
Single by Paula Abdul
from the album Forever Your Girl
B-side	"Knocked Out" (Instrumental) "Next to You"
Released	May 1988 (1988-05)
Studio	Studio Masters Silverlake (Hollywood, CA)
Length	3:52
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Antonio "L.A." Reid Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Daryl Simmons
Producer(s)	L.A. Reid Babyface
Paula Abdul singles chronology
"Knocked Out" (1988) "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" (1988)
Music video
"Knocked Out" on YouTube

"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released in May 1988 via Virgin Records as the lead single to Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid, the only track on Forever Your Girl produced by the duo. Babyface and Simmons provide background vocals along with Pebbles and Yvette Marine. "Knocked Out" was later re-released to US radio in May 1990 following its re-issue in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Critical reception

Paul Mathur from Melody Maker wrote, "Paula isn't as clever as Jessica but she's almost as accomplished in the art of artifice. When she sings, plastic takes on whole new forms, Madonna looks like Joni Mitchell and I'm humming for weeks. She cuts her soul pop jib with scissors the size of shears, but she doesn't give two hoots, and for that alone we should cherish her." Dave Sholin of the Gavin Report responded favorably, "If you're lookin' for hooks, this is it. Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, the arrangement lends itself to multi-format potential. This former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader and choreographer for the likes of Janet Jackson is gonna be big." Bill Coleman of Billboard called the track "an appealing number."

Chart performance

"Knocked Out" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on June 18, 1987. peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the first of what would be fourteen charting entries through 1995.

Music video

Abdul's first music video was directed by Danny Kleinman and Limelight Film and Video Productions. The video features Abdul and her dancers working out choreography on the dance floor. It premiered to BET on June 11, 1988.

Personnel

Taken from the Forever Your Girl booklet.

• Paula Abdul – lead and background vocals
• Babyface – songwriter, producer, arranger, keyboards, background vocals
• L.A. Reid – songwriter, producer, arranger, LM-1 programming, percussion programming
• Daryl Simmons – songwriter, arranger, background vocals
• Kayo – Memory Moog bass
• Perri "Pebbles" Reid – background vocals
• Yvette Marine – background vocals

Charts

References

1. ^ Fell, Ron (May 20, 1988). "Dave Sholin's Personal Picks — Singles". Gavin Report. Vol. 1707. p. 57.
2. Breihan, Tom (June 25, 2021). "The Number Ones: Paula Abdul's "Straight Up". Stereogum. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
3. "CHR National Airplay: Significant Action". Radio & Records. No. 840. May 18, 1990. p. 106.
4. Mathur, Paul (September 3, 1988). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 28. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
5. Coleman, Bill (April 30, 1988). "Dance Trax: Atlantic's Dazzling Dance Department Regroups". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 18. Prometheus Global Media. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510.
6. "Paula Abdul Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
7. Warner, Jay (2008). Notable Moments of Women in Music. Hal Leonard Books. p. 269. ISBN 9781423429517.
8. "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 24. Nielsen Business Media. June 11, 1988. p. 67. ISSN 0006-2510.
9. Forever Your Girl (album liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1988. 90943.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received January 17, 2014". imgur.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 972." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
12. Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 18. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. August 4, 1990. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
14. "Paula Abdul – Knocked Out" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Paula Abdul". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
17. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
18. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
19. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
20. "Radio: Hot Crossover 30". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 31. Nielsen Business Media. July 30, 1988. p. 16. ISSN 0006-2510.
21. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
22. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 8. New York, NY. August 20, 1988. p. 2. ISSN 0008-7289.
23. "Cash Box Top 12" Dance Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 4. New York, NY. July 23, 1988. p. 21. ISSN 0008-7289.
24. "Cash Box Top Black Contemporary Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 5. New York, NY. July 30, 1988. p. 17. ISSN 0008-7289.
25. "the Gavin Report: Urban Contemporary". Gavin Report. No. 1717. July 29, 1988. p. 14. Note: The July 22 issue that "Knocked Out" reached its peak position has not been archived; the peak for this week is derived from the "Last Week" position in the July 29 issue.
26. "The Back Page". Radio & Records. July 29, 1988. p. 112. ProQuest 1017204959.
27. "No. 1 Awards: Top Black Singles". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-23.
28. "Urban Contemporary 1988 · Top 100". Gavin Report. No. 1735. December 9, 1988. p. 19.
29. "The Top 88 of Eighty-Eight – Urban". Radio & Records. No. 768. December 16, 1988. p. 80. ISSN 0277-4860.

• 1988 debut singles
• 1990 singles
• Paula Abdul songs
• Songs written by Babyface (musician)
• Songs written by L.A. Reid
• Songs written by Daryl Simmons
• Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician)
• Virgin Records singles
• 1988 songs
• Song recordings produced by L.A. Reid
• New jack swing songs